The EIU view

The president, Danilo Medina, of the Partido de la Liberación Dominicana, will benefit from the party's ample control of Congress and a weak opposition. However, his re-election ambitions (which would probably require a constitutional amendment to lift term limits) are straining his party's cohesiveness. Major reforms, including to infrastructure and the troubled electricity sector, will not be completed. GDP growth will remain solid in 2019-23.

President announces reform agenda
Social plans are expected to pass, but political gridlock in the ruling Partido de la Liberación Dominicana ahead of the 2020 elections is likely to spell trouble for other reforms.

Ruling PLD opts for "semi-open" primaries
This comes in a context of an ongoing dispute and institutional manoeuvering within the ruling Partido de la Liberacion Dominicana (PLD) over who should run for the presidency.

Electricity pact cancelled once again
The indefinite postponement of the long‑delayed "pact" for the electricity sector reinforces our expectation that reforms in the sector will remain stalled in the short term.